Love at First Plight
by NinjaNovelist
Summary: The story of 2/5, because they deserve some love, too. Picks up right from the end of the series.
1. Chapter 1

**Don't ask about the title. I have no idea where that came from.**

**Disclaimer: (insert witty disclaimer saying I don't own KND here)**

They always say the first day is the hardest. Somehow they believe that to be a comfort whenever a person is going through a hardship. They think that once the initial wave of pain wears off, they will begin to heal.

This was the mentality the remaining members of Sector V held when Nigel Uno, fellow operative, sector leader, and best friend, left them behind. But after they returned from seeing him off, the bombardment of grief and tears that they had expected never arrived. In its place, a dull, empty feeling descended over them like the final curtain at the end of a performance. They each went through the motions necessary for that thing called life, only they were no longer sure what to live for.

Yes, the first day is the hardest. But when all the days are meaninglessly blended together to the point where you cannot decipher one from the other, who's to say when that first day will end?

All this and more passed through Numbuh 5's mind as she absently sloshed her cereal around with her spoon. Rainbow Munchies. How dare they look so colorful and bright at a time like this.

Numbuh 3 sat across from her, and for once her favorite breakfast meal wasn't giving her the delight it usually did. In fact, the radiant joy that constantly emanated from the perky Asian had dimmed to almost nothing, threatening to flicker out entirely. And at times it did, though Numbuh 5 noted that those moment coincided with whenever she glanced at the blond boy sitting out on the deck, his knees pulled to his chest as he searched in vain for a rocket ship to come crashing down and return what he had lost.

It's times like these when the difference between boys and girls are most evident. Ever since _he _left Numbuhs 5 and 3 had been with each other almost constantly. Sometimes they would talk, but mostly they just needed the mere company of the other to make the mood a bit lighter.

For the boys, it was a different story entirely. They kept to themselves, not willing to speak or even be in so much as the same room as another. The girls had witnessed Numbuh 4 go from punching a wall to lying crumbled on the ground in a span of seconds, while Numbuh 2 hadn't been seen in days.

Numbuh 2. While she often trusted the boy enough to let him take care of himself, disappearing without even telling them where he would be wasn't like him. And if Numbuh 5 was honest with herself, she was worried about him.

And she knew for a fact that Numbuh 3 felt the same about Numbuh 4. When Numbuh 5 caught the girl shooting yet another look towards the Aussie's way, she said, "We've given them enough time by themselves. He needs you."

A blush crept onto Numbuh 3's features, but that was all she needed to get up and head outside. Numbuh 5 sat back and watched quietly as she timidly approached Numbuh 4 as if she'd never met him before. At first he tried to resist the girl's attempts to talk with him, but it wasn't long before the overwhelming amount of hurt caused him to collapse in her arms.

Having seen enough, Numbuh 5 left the two alone as she let her instincts guide her to the one person who was still in need. Somehow, despite the multiple stories of the Treehouse and the number of rooms on each one, she knew exactly where he'd be.

Eventually she arrived at the door of an underground bunker, unknown to anyone else but them two. Numbuh 5 had caught him once trying to sneak into his little hideout (she wasn't the sector spy for nothing), and he had made her promise not to tell a soul in order to protect his top secret inventions from fellow 2x4 tech geeks.

As expected, she found him halfway into the engine of his favorite prototype: a vehicle that could travel through, air, water, land, and space. Although the machine was his pride and joy, Numbuh 5 suspected the only reason he was working on it now was to take his mind off of the departure of his best friend.

Numbuh 5 leaned up against the vehicle. "Need a hand?"

As he glanced up, Numbuh 2 somehow seemed unsurprised at her arrival. She thought that he would simply turn her away, but after a brief pause he said, "Could you pass me my H.A.M.M.A.W.H.A.M.M.A.?"

For a while they continued this way in companionable silence. Numbuh 2 would work on his invention, and Numbuh 5 would try to think of a way to reach the uncomfortable topic of their former sector leader's leaving.

To her amazement, it was Numbuh 2 who got the ball rolling. "If you're here to offer some comfort, you're wasting your time. I'm fine."

Numbuh 5 wasn't really a people person, but even she knew that when someone says they're "fine", they're usually anything but.

"I can see that," she said, voice layered with sarcasm. "Especially the way that Numbuh 5 has been here ten minutes and you haven't cracked a single joke."

Numbuh 2's eyes narrowed behind his goggles. "You've always hated my jokes."

"Since when did that stop you?" she retorted. "The Numbuh 2 I know could care less about what other people thought of him!"

"Well that was before-" Numbuh 2 caught himself just in time. He instantly turned his attention back to the project at hand, sending a signal that he was done with the conversation.

Numbuh 5, however, was not. "Before what, Numbuh 2?"

But the pilot only lost himself even more in his invention. With a sigh of pure pity, the girl turned and began to walk away.

Five, four, three, two...

"Before he abandoned us."

Numbuh 5 was instantly by his side as he gave in and tossed his wrench aside, just as she knew he would. The two sat against the front bumper, and all she had to do was raise an eyebrow for Numbuh 2 to release all of the emotions that had been buried inside of him.

"We've all been a team together for nearly three years," he cried. "And I've been his best friend for even longer. But he just goes and throws all that away to chase some aliens a hundred lightyears away! Did we mean that little to him?"

The very air seemed to press down on them as an unbearable silence settled around them. Numbuh 5 felt the need to ease his worries, but she couldn't answer his questions when she had wondered the exact same things herself.

Whenever she had a problem like this, she used to go to Nigel. But now that he was gone, the best she could do was replay the words of their last conversation, as she had been doing constantly ever since he left.

_But it won't be Sector V without you._

_It was before, and it will be after._

"I think that what he would want is for us to move on," Numbuh 5 said. "Nigel understood the mission of the Kids Next Door more than any of us: to help kids.. He didn't leave because we weren't good enough, but he was willing to sacrifice us for the sake of the cause. It's okay to miss him, but the best way to honor his choice is not to let that get in the way of what we're fighting for."

Numbuh 2 remained silent for a excruciatingly long time, staring blankly ahead as he pondered the girl's words. But then he at last turned to face her, his mouth twitching slightly like he was holding something back.

"I think you should get your blood level checked, Numbuh 5," he said as a goofy grin sneaked onto his face. "Because you sure are being _sweet_!"

And that's how she knew everything would be alright.

Numbuh 5 rose to her feet, pulling her friend onto his own as well. "Come on," she said, acquiring a smirk to match Numbuh 2's."Numbuh 3 and Numbuh 4 are upstairs having a moment. It's about time someone spoiled that."

**Does it make sense that I'm bad at making bad jokes?**

**I'm not much of a hurt/comfort writer, so this was insanely difficult to write, but I hope you liked it. Anyways, there will be five chapters total, one update every Saturday if all goes well.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay for missing deadlines! Sorry about that.**

**And speaking of apologies, when I first published this story I accidentally uploaded the second chapter of one of my ****other**** KND fics, Welcome Back. I am eternally grateful to Making Some Toast for pointing that out. **

"Okay guys," Numbuh 5 announced. "Rumor has it that Mr. Boss is scheming to send preschoolers to work in his office for cheap labor. Normally I don't like to take a mission on only a hunch, but it would be too much of a risk to not investigate."

The members of Sector V were all gathered in the meeting room for a mission overview. It had been months since Numbuh 1 left, and they had healed just enough to begin work again.

"So this is how it's gonna go down," the sector leader continued. "Numbuh 3 will infiltrate the security systems and provide a distraction while Numbuh 4-"

CRASH!

Operatives were sent flying as a collision of tree and machine rattled the insides of the base. Once the smoke cleared, the vehicle's door slid open and a girl with a personality as fiery as her hair charged into the room.

"What're ya doing here, lying about like a bunch of sloths?" Numbuh 86 demanded. "You should be briefing on the mission right now!"

"If you've come just to insult us, couldn't you at least use the cruddy door?" Numbuh 4 muttered as he rubbed his sore head.

In a rare act of mercy, Numbuh 86 chose to pretend she didn't hear the boy's cutting remark. "I'll be sure to let Numbuh 65.3 know about yer laziness later, but I have a very important task to complete first."

"Could you cut the cheese, Fanny?" Numbuh 2 asked. "Get it? 'Cause your name's Fanny, and I said to-"

"But seriously," Numbuh 5 intervened upon taking notice of the Irish girl's face growing red with rage. "Just get to the point. What have you got to say?"

Numbuh 86's gritted teeth slid into a smug smirk. "_I _have nothing to say," she said, stepping to the side. "But I've brought someone who does."

The moment that second person came into view, every eye shifted uncomfortably to look at anything but her.

Finally, Numbuh 5 chose to address her. "Numbuh 362."

The reply of the aforementioned was just as stiff. "Numbuh 5."

This was not the Soopreme Leader's first visit to Sector V. Not long after Numbuh 1's disappearance, she had arrived personally to inquire about his whereabouts. The operatives had been forced to blatantly lie to their superior to protect their friend, but Numbuh 362 hadn't bought a word. And it didn't help that she had been a close a friend of the missing agent.

"I've come to announce that I'm going on a little vacation," Numbuh 362 began.

Numbuh 4 sighed in relief. "Is that all? Well, this place wouldn't have been my first choice for a holiday spot, but if you rea-"

"Not that kind of vacation," Numbuh 362 clarified patiently. "I'm taking a holiday from my post in order to look for... something."

Surprisingly, it was Numbuh 3 who caught on first. "Or someone."

Numbuh 362 looked like she really wanted to make a reply, but instead she returned her attention to Numbuh 5. "But before I go, there's something that must be done. I'm so sorry to have to do this to you, but your recent performance has left me no choice."

Numbuh 86 stood tall with triumph, fully prepared to gloat over the consequences the operative was sure to face for her impertinence.

"Numbuh 5," Rachel said. "I would be honored if you would take my place."

Mouths were dropped, none lower than Numbuh 86's. But the only one with her jaw locked tight was Numbuh 5, who was too stunned to even do that.

"Ever since you became leader, your sector's mission success rate has been stellar," Numbuh 362 explained. "And not only that, but no matter what the adults throw at you, it's been reported that you carry through it all with a level head. That's the sort of person the Kids Next Door needs as a leader. So what do you say?"

All eyes turned to Numbuh 5 as she considered the offer. Though the two Moon Base officials waited with bated breath, the others were already confidant in what her decision would be. Numbuh 5 had been reluctant to even accept the role of sector leader; there was no way she would be willing to head up a whole worldwide organization.

So it came as a complete shock to the operatives of Sector V when Numbuh 5 drew herself up to full height, faced the former Soopreme leader, and said "I accept."

**~0~0~0~0~0~**

For a time longer than his nerd mind could calculate, Numbuh 2 wavered hesitantly before her door. Numbuhs 3 and 4 claimed that if anyone could get through to her it was him, but if he couldn't even sum up the courage to knock, what chance did he have?

Confidence quickly draining, Numbuh 2 seriously considered simply walking away. If he stayed light on his feet, maybe he could get by without her noticing...

"Hey Numbuh 2? As long as you're out there, could you help me with a few things?"

Crud. She knew him too well.

Surrendering as a prisoner of war, he entered Numbuh 5's room. Or at least, what used to be her room.

The bedroom, previously a sweet pad for just chilling out, was reduced to various piles of scattered items and cardboard boxes. Half of her belongings were already packed away, and Numbuh 5 was currently putting away her CD collection as well.

"Two things," Numbuh 5 requested. "One, help me pack my 2x4 tech. And two, tell Numbuh 5 what's on your mind."

Numbuh 2 wasn't really inclined to do either, but he gave in to the first in the hopes of avoiding the second.

As they packed, Numbuh 5 filled up the silence with constant chatter on what her new job entailed. With the pointless rambling that was so unlike her, Numbuh 2 wondered if she was avoiding the second request as well.

"And I've heard the Soopreme Leader's office has the best view in the solar system," Numbuh 5 continued. "You can see all of Earth right outside your window! Oh, and you'll appreciate the food, Numbuh 2. Every day is a new choice of only the best foods: hotdogs, hamburgers, meatball subs, and I can't forget the chil-"

"Why are you leaving?" Numbuh 2 blurted out.

Numbuh 5 paused in the midst of folding her clothes, shocked by his outburst. "Well, I..."

"Nigel left barely even three months ago. And just as soon as we start getting over _that_, you get up and abandon us, too!"

The girl stumbled in an attempt to explain herself. "I'm just not cut out to be sector leader..."

"So you think Soopreme Leader is any better?" Numbuh 2 retorted. "That's a lie, and you know it. You're the best leader I've ever seen save Numbuh 1 himself."

"That's just it!" Numbuh 5 cried. "He knew the job inside and out, and was more devoted to it than anyone. How could I ever replace him?"

Numbuh 2 remained silent.

"You know I only accepted the position because he asked me to," Numbuh 5 said. "You can call me selfish, and you'd have every right to, but when I was given an opportunity to get out... I took it."

The pilot paused for a time, and when he spoke again Numbuh 5 could barely even hear him. "But what about us?"

Numbuh 5 stared at him for a long time. Then she reached up, pulled off the sunglasses sitting on the bridge of her hat, and handed them to him.

"I think you should answer that yourself."

Numbuh 2 looked at the shades, then back to her, then back to the shades again. Then ever so slowly he folded them up and slid the pair into his breast pocket, a silent acceptance of his new responsibility.

"Will we ever see you again?" he asked.

Numbuh 5 laughed, a rich sound he hadn't heard in ages. "I'm not dying, Numbuh 2. We'll still see each other at school or in the neighborhood, and I'll be sure to drop in from time to time as long as you do the same for me."

Numbuh 2 grinned. "It's a deal."

He rose and began to leave, but one simple sentence made him stop just inside the doorway.

"And Numbuh 2?"

Upon turning around, he couldn't help but notice Numbuh 5 looking so forlorn and out of place, swallowed up in a sea of rigid boxes.

"Take care of them for me, will you?"

Had this chance come up a few months before, Numbuh 5 would've refused outright only because the others wouldn't have been able to handle it on their own. But a change had gone through them all since Nigel's disappearance, and none more than Numbuh 2. To put it simply, he had grown up, and for once that was a good thing. Now Numbuh 5 was able to trust him with their beloved Treehouse, and those within as well.

With a coy smile, Numbuh 2 straightened up and brought a hand to his forehead in a salute.

"As you wish, Soopreme Leader."

Once he was gone, Numbuh 5 stayed still, deep in thought. But she was quick to resume her packing, feeling much more at peace with her decision than ever before.


	3. Chapter 3

**To clear up any confusion, the computer document in this chapter is actually a reference to my first fanfiction, "Roots". It's the story of how each of the operatives joined the KND, as told by Numbuh 5, in the form of an article from the KND Archives. **

_So here ends the story of our roots. Roots that someday would grow into a tree._

Numbuh 5 took a moment to look over the words she had just typed. A little corny, perhaps, but all in all she was proud of it.

With a sigh, the Soopreme Leader pushed away from the computer and took a long, sweeping glance around her. Soon this Moon Base office would no longer be hers, even in her memory.

One day. Twenty-four hours. 1,440 minutes. 86,400 seconds.

That was all the time she had left before her thirteenth birthday.

"Knock, knock."

Numbuh 5 swung her chair around to face the intruder as he settled himself on the sofa across from her desk.

"Most people knock _before _entering, Numbuh 2." She tried to give him the stern look that three years as Soopreme Leader had left almost perpetually indented into her face, but with this kid she could never quite pull it off.

Numbuh 2's immediate response to her chiding was to sink deeper into the comfort of the couch. "We've never been ones to worry about formalities."

Numbuh 5 did not deny it.

The Sector V Leader looked past his superior and took notice of the document on her computer. "Whatchya working on?"

Numbuh 5 followed her friend's gaze. It had only been a few minutes since she completed it, but it already felt like a ghost from her past.

"Let's just call it a... final testimony."

She didn't offer further information, and he didn't ask for it. And Numbuh 5 was inexplicably bothered by that.

There was so much she wanted to say, so many thoughts and emotion that needed to be let out. But she couldn't even so much as look Numbuh 2 in the eye, let alone talk to him. How was it that she could relate her problems to a computer screen, and not one of her best friends?

She knew how. Although they were friends, their relationship had never broadened to outside their profession. Sure, they could help one another out with homework or have each other's back in battle, but heart-to-hearts just wasn't their thing.

Up until now, she had been fine with that. But tomorrow she would cross the border and enter a whole different world, full of punk rock and lip gloss and school dances. And although she had faced worse (numerous threats of having to consume vegetables came to mind), her friends had always been by her side. But now that she was leaving them...

"Abby."

That single word was enough for Numbuh 5 to reconsider everything she had thought their relationship was. Numbuh 2 never used her real name. Ever.

He offered a hand, his expression sad and understanding and inviting all at once. The moment their hands entwined, Numbuh 2 began pulling her out of the room.

"Where are we going?" Numbuh 5 asked.

When he looked back at her, she found just a hint of one other emotion: excitement.

"To celebrate your last day as a kid."

Back down on Earth they met up with Numbuhs 3 and 4, and together they did every childish activity they could think of. They rode their bikes, went to the playground, chased after the ice cream truck (the Tasty Taste worker didn't dare refuse their sugary needs with a 2x4 gun trained on his head), the list goes on and on. Numbuh 5 couldn't remember the last time the four of them had spent time with each other, not to take down any villainous foe, but simply to have fun. And that's what being a kid is all about.

By the time night fell, the tired out group settled for counting the stars in the park. Numbuh 5 hadn't felt so relaxed in years, a hand rested comfortably behind her head as she pointed out the Big Dipper to Numbuh 4. Soon she felt another figure seat himself beside her.

"Sure beats sitting in an office day, huh?" Numbuh 2 said with a smile.

"By far," Numbuh 5 agreed. "Thank you."

Numbuh 2's eyes shined in response, but there was sorrow in his gaze. He was looking at her like she was already gone.

The conversation that ensued was expressed only through their eyes. They had come to the unspoken agreement that actually saying what was on their minds would only ruin their final day together.

_Don't worry. Everything will work out._

_How do you know? You may not even remember us. _

Numbuh 5 hesitated. Should she tell him what Maurice had told her all those years ago? But she had promised that she wouldn't say a word.

_There's still hope. Just trust me. _

Numbuh 2 looked like he still had doubts, but he decided to let the matter drop.

"Where do you think he is?" Numbuh 3 suddenly called out, completely unaware of the slight amount of tension still between two of her teammates.

"Who?" Numbuh 4 asked.

"Numbuh 1, silly!" the girl replied brightly. "He could be on any one of these stars right now, saving alien kids from inter-galactic adult tyranny! Isn't that neat?"

Numbuh 5 pondered Numbuh 3's words as she gazed back up at the sky. She expected to feel sad, as the stars seemed so far away. But somehow she had never felt closer to her old friend, like the idea that he was watching over them was as sure as there were stars in the sky. You may not always see them, but you know they're there.

She looked back at Hoagie, and understanding passed between them. That's what she would be: another star in the sky.

**Don't ya just love complete, pure cheesiness? Yeah, me neither. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for being so late with this chapter. You know how I complained about how hard it was to write the first chapter? This was even worse. So as a result, the final update will probably be delayed as well.**

Back in the safety of her home, Abby leaned against the door and took a deep breath to release all the stress that had accumulated throughout the day. The entire walk home from the pep rally, her fellow cheerleader "friends" had chattered endlessly on which football player was cuter, while Abby resisted the strong temptation to punch their perfect sets of teeth straight out of their mouths.

With a sigh, Abby threw her pom-poms aside and went upstairs to the bathroom, where she proceeded to wash the inch-thick layer of make-up off her face and change from her uniform with less fabric than a dish rag to a simple pair of shorts and a T-shirt. It wasn't until she pulled her hair back into her usual braid and donned her famous red cap that she dared look in the mirror again.

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the real Abigail Lincoln.

With a satisfied nod of the head, Abby deemed herself presentable to the outside world. So after leaving a note for her parents, the teenager climbed aboard her bike and took off.

In the very heart of the town was an alley, the sort of dark and creepy place that people pass on the opposite side of the road and parents warn their children never to play in. It was in this exact alley that Abby parked her bike.

Crouching beside an old dumpster, Abby tapped in a complicated series of raps and taps onto the metal. After a brief pause, the dumpster moved on its own accord to reveal a hole that the girl did not hesitate for a moment to jump into.

With the grace of a cat, she landed on both feet in the middle of a sewer. Though there was no water, a small stream of teenagers could be seen trickling through the halls of the Teens Next Door Headquarters.

One such adolescent emerged from the crowd and approached Abby. The girl immediately responded by straightening up and saluting him.

"Numbuh 9, sir!" she addressed.

"At ease, soldier," her old friend replied with a grin. "Follow me. Numbuh 225 would like to see you."

And so Maurice turned and made his way through the pipes with Abby on his heels.

"Any idea what the sector leader wants with me?" Abby asked. "Like maybe a job change?"

The sixteen-year-old laughed at the her hopeful expression. "Undercover work not your thing?"

"Not when it's with a bunch of whiny girls who burst into tears when they can't find their lip gloss," Abby stated bitterly.

"Well, I'm not making any promises," Maurice told her. "After all, you were the one who discovered the jocks' plans to force the fifth-grade nerds to do their homework for them. The department needs people like you."

Abby couldn't help but blush at the compliment. Even after all these years, Maurice could still get to her like that.

Soon enough the two teens arrived at the closest thing to an office a sewer could have, as it wasn't quite as damp and had a considerably smaller amount of mold than the rest of the hideout. A blonde girl sat with a stack of paperwork behind a makeshift desk.

Numbuh 225 looked up at Maurice. "Have you obtained your objective?"

"Affirmative," her second-in-command replied. He took Abby by the hand (her face immediately grew hot at his touch) and gently pulled her right up to the desk before taking his spot behind the sector leader.

Turning her attention towards the young teen, Numbuh 225's stern, authoritative look broke into a warm smile. "Hello, Numbuh 5. I'll get straight to the point. You've been serving us faithfully for over three months now, and you've certainly proved yourself to be a very capable operative. How would you like to go on your first solo mission?"

Abby couldn't believe her ears. "You mean it?"

"I can't think of anyone better for the job," the blonde affirmed. "We need your stealth skills to track down a runaway Kids Next Door operative before he gets recruited by the Teen Ninjas."

Abby's brow furrowed in confusion. "Isn't that Numbuh 86's job?"

"Normally we do leave the KND to find any traitors themselves," Numbuh 225 agreed. "But if the teens get a hold of this kid, it could prove catastrophic. And besides, we believe that you would be the one most likely to find him."

"Why?" Abby asked. "Who is he?"

The sector leader's smile faltered. She exchanged a long, hard look with her comrade, like each was daring the other to deliver the news. Finally, Maurice stepped forward and placed a hand on Abby's shoulder.

"It's Hoagie Gilligan."

**~0~0~0~0~0~**

The actual task of locating him wasn't all that difficult. She knew that Hoagie would try to throw off the scent by hiding in the last place anyone would ever think of to look for him. Hence the reason she was presently scouting out in the bushes as she watched her target clean out a pig pen.

Yes, Hoagie had once again resigned himself to humble farm work in order to stay out of the radar. After the fiasco that occurred when he had been separated from his beloved technology when stationed at Sector A, no one but her would possibly guess that he would be willing to go through all that again.

It would be the simplest thing in the world to just leap out and take him away at gunpoint. But the thing was, Abby had no intention of completing the mission _herself_. Hoagie was better than this. She had to convince him to turn himself in and leave the Kids Next Door honorably.

The irony in all this was if he did so, he wouldn't actually be leaving the KND at all. The way the Teens Next Door chose their operatives was by seeing which kids were so devoted to the cause that they would rather lose all their memories than betray the KND. But she couldn't simply tell him this; she had to get Hoagie to come to this conclusion himself.

Here was the hard part: doing all that when Hoagie thinks she's already been decommissioned.

As she continued to gaze at him for the first time since she left the Kids Next Door, Abby suddenly realized how much Hoagie had changed over the years. Gone was the chubby boy from his youth, for though he was still by no means skinny, a several inch growth spurt had greatly made up for his formerly larger berth. His shirt was untucked and slightly open, flecks of dirt and grime smeared all over him as he turned over the soil in the pen. Abby caught a glimpse of his auburn hair for the first time in years as he removed his aviator's goggles to wipe the sweat from his brow.

Rumors had spread throughout the whole TND of this terrible disease plaguing operative and enemy teens alike, so contagious that it was practically impossible to evade. The leading scientists called the mysterious illness Hormones, and although they've attempted to combat it by injecting an antibiotic known as Cooties into the youth (who were quite convinced that _that _was the horrific epidemic), so far it has proved unsuccessful.

Abby didn't know much about the disease, but as she felt her gut twist itself inside-out as she looked upon the boy she's been friends with since elementary school, someone she had never given a second glance until now, she couldn't help but wonder if the two were inter-related.

"Something on your mind?"

She wasn't quite sure how she had suddenly appeared at Hoagie's side. It was like she had just naturally gravitated towards him.

Shock caused Hoagie to slip in the mud and gracefully land with his butt in the feeding trough. The squealing of pigs in the background suddenly began to sound suspiciously like laughter.

"W-w-what are you doing here?" he spluttered.

Arching an eyebrow, the teen pointed at the sign situated up front. "The petting zoo's open to the general public, kid."

The flustered boy attempted to get back up, his words stumbling just as much as his feet. "Sorry, it's just that... I just haven't seen you in..." he took a deep breath. "This place doesn't usually have visitors of... your kind."

"Yeah, you probably don't see people my age around here all too often," the teen said as she leaned over to pet one of the piglets. "The thing is, Abby's not really like most people her age."

Removing her hand from the pig pen, she met Hoagie's awed gaze with her own perfectly stoic one. "So you never answered my question," she continued. "What's bothering you?"

Hoagie swung his pitchfork over his shoulder. "You wouldn't understand," he said, trying to make his escape and avoid the question.

Did this boy ever learn?

"Try me," she challenged, matching his pace as he headed towards the barn.

Hoagie locked eyes with her but a moment, but it was enough for him to conclude that there was no getting out of this.

"I was on this, uh, math team at school," he started. "But I started to get too advanced, and people began seeing me as a threat, like they thought I was gonna overthrow the whole system and take over or something. I knew that I'd get the boot soon enough, so I quit before they had the chance."

By this time, the pair had reached the barn and Hoagie began putting his equipment away.

"It's not that I blame them or anything," he explained. "But I want to be able to leave on _my _terms, not theirs."

"How do you know they'll make you leave?" Abby asked.

Hoagie shot her a saddened glance that cut right through all the lies and stories she's had to make up as an undercover operative. "Because it's happened before."

Even the farm animals fell silent.

Abby wanted more than anything to tell him just how wrong he was. She never lost her memory, never had to leave to Kids Next Door. But she knew Hoagie needed to prove his loyalty in order to be worthy of becoming part of the TND.

"Will you... join an opposing team?" she asked.

Hoagie hesitated far longer than she would have liked. "No. Those people are still my friends. I could never betray them."

"Seems to me like you already have," Abby pointed out.

Hoagie gave her a puzzled look, and the girl took a moment to carefully choose her words. She couldn't afford to slip up on something this important.

"I'd bet that you were a pretty important part of this math team," she explained. "What if they had this really tough match, and you weren't there to help? If you really cared, you'd be there for them. If they turn their backs on you, that's their loss. But if you stick it out anyway, I guarantee you that everything will work itself out."

She was just about to go when Hoagie reached out and grabbed her arm. She tried to focus on her friend and not the fact that her whole arm suddenly became and electric current shooting bolts of pure energy throughout her body, but it was a pretty tough thing to ignore. Maurice's touch was like a pitiful static shock compared to this.

"Why did you tell me all this?" he asked. "You've never even met me before now. Why do you care about one nerd's little problems?"

Turning towards him, Abby gave a simple shrug and delivered her first completely true statement in the whole conversation.

"Helping kids is what I do."

Hoagie couldn't help but stare at her retreating form until she had disappeared from sight. Once he was sure that the girl wasn't returning, the nerd rushed to the nearest horse stall and opened the door to reveal an impressive array of 2x4 tech he had smuggled from the Treehouse.

With no small amount of trepidation, Hoagie picked up the transmitter. After being gone for nearly a month, he knew there would be a lot of explaining to do, and he still wasn't entirely sure what would become of him the day he turned thirteen. But even after being decommissioned, he could always depend on Abby to give him a good word of advice.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Hoagie dialed and put the device to his ear.

"He he, hey Numbuh 4," he greeted nervously. "Long time no see."


	5. Chapter 5

**Can I just say I'm very, very, very sorry for being so embarrassingly late with this update? But in my defense, I am a junior in high school trying to balance work, school, extra-curriculars, and college hunting. **

**Anywho, last chapter! Thanks to those of you who've put up with me 'till the end, and I hope you like this!**

Strange things happen in life. It's an undeniable fact. The moment you think that you've finally understood it, something impossible occurs that completely disregards the basic fundamentals you thought would always stand true. After all, the only predictable thing in life is its unpredictability.

Even so, anyone who had known the former members of Sector V in their youth would scarcely even recognize them now. Tomboyish, laid back Abby was a preppy cheerleader. Brash, tough Wally was in the Drama Club. Giggly, airhead Kuki was the class Treasurer. And smart, friendly Hoagie was... nobody.

However, the select few who knew that the four adolescents were undercover Teens Next Door operatives understood why they were so seemingly out of character. The TND assigns their spies to a department of the rather complex society of high school based on ability rather than personality.

Abby's talents in stealth made her perfect for the cheerleading squad, where gossip was always the richest.

Because of Wally's incapacity to keep a secret, he was placed in the Theater department so if he slipped up, he could cover himself under the ruse of running lines (but that didn't mean he would like it).

As the former Diversionary Tactics officer, Kuki was a master at distracting fellow council members from enacting any anti-kid amendments. And as a plus, being treasurer made embezzlement a relatively simple task.

And since Numbuh 74.239 already served as spy in the science club, Hoagie was charged with roaming among the loners to catch any floating hints others may have missed. It's kinda funny how much an outsider notices of the inner circle he wants so desperately to be part of.

Being part of four radically different cliques, or lack thereof, the four old friends hardly ever hung out like they used to. Even as they were currently conducting a stakeout together, they did so from separate corners of every teen's favorite hangout spot, the mall, to avoid arousing suspicion.

Sixteen-year-old Hoagie sighed out of pure boredom, his feet propped up on the counter of the Yipper Card shop he worked at. Business was slow today, as it was every day unless a few elementary school boys managed to drag their parents to the mall.

As it did not appear that that would be the case anytime soon, Hoagie preoccupied himself by looking at the the beautiful African American girl shopping through clothing racks across the way. Abby seemed determined not to look at her friend in the fear of blowing her cover, which was probably a good thing. Hoagie wasn't sure he could explain why he'd been staring at her for ten minutes straight.

A sudden rapid beeping began coming from his pocket. Hoagie whipped out his cell phone and read his most recent text message:

MISSION ALERT

Hoagie raised his eyes just as Abby glanced up from her own cell. Both knowing exactly what to do, the girl dropped the top she had been looking at and bolted to the nearest exit.

Hoagie jumped to his feet. "I'm taking my break, Marty!" he called into the back room. "Cover my shift?"

He didn't even wait for a reply as he took off to follow in Abby's wake.

Abby, Hoagie, Wally, and Kuki all met up with one another in the parking lot. Suddenly it didn't matter whether they were breaking unspoken high school law by being seen together, They had work to do.

Abby sat on a nearby park bench and pulled a laptop from her bag, the others quickly crowding around her. After a few moments of typing in various codes, a window popped up depicting the handsome face of their Soopreme Leader.

"How goes it, Maurice?" Abby asked with a smile.

"Much better now that you're here, Abs," the boy replied smoothly.

Hoagie's knuckles turned a pasty white as his grip tightened on the back of the bench.

Although Maurice was nineteen and considered a legal adult now, he was still part of the TND since he technically can be classified as a "teen". The matter was continuously up to debate, and Hoagie personally believed all people of that age should be kicked out of the organization so they can stop flirting with other people's crushes.

"So what's the mission, boss?" Wally asked. "Must be pretty important to interrupt a stakeout."

Maurice immediately switched to business mode. "It is. As I'm sure you are all aware, we keep constant surveillance on all villains' homes to know what they're up to. Well, we recently received news of movement in a dwelling we thought had been vacant for years: the mansion of the Delightful Children From Down The Lane."

"WHAT?" all four cried out together, precisely like their arch-nemeses.

Neither Father nor his five kids had been seen or heard from ever since that fateful scavenger hunt six years before.

Maurice nodded grimly. "I understand your concern. Most likely it's just a false alarm, but I'm sure you all know more than anyone that we must be sure of that."

"We're on our way, Numbuh 9," Abby assured him.

Maurice smiled. "Good luck. And be careful." The screen went blank.

Once Abby shut her laptop, she put her face her hands, and Hoagie knew why. After so long, no one knew what to expect of the Delightful Children now. Who knows how dangerous they had become?

Suddenly aware of the three people behind her awaiting orders, Abby stood up and turned to face them.

"What are we waiting for?" she demanded. "There's a bunch of goody-goody brats out there with some major explaining to do."

**~0~0~0~0~0~**

The team had broken into the mansion several times in the past, but this was different. It was like they were walking through a distant memory, and it greatly unsettled them all.

As much as people would like it to be otherwise, things change over time. Abby's dining room had been recently painted a pale blue, completely different from the cheery yellow she had grown up with. Due to a substantial pay raise, Wally's dad was able to buy a new car and scrap the old one his son had admired for years. Kuki's favorite picnic spot had been paved over and transformed into a parking lot. And Hoagie's mother had at last gotten around to cleaning out the attic, dumping things like his first model airplane, his science fair award from third grade, basically his entire childhood.

That's what made the Delightfuls' mansion so eerie. It hadn't changed a bit.

"Okay team, let's split up." Abby ordered.

Her comrades all looked at one another nervously. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Wally asked.

"Come on, this place has been deserted for years," said Abby. "We'll just check the place out and leave. Simple."

Her words would have been much more encouraging if her expression agreed with them.

"But what if the Delightfuls _are _here?" Kuki asked anxiously.

"Yeah," Hoagie agreed. "I don't like the idea of facing an enemy five to one."

Abby was beginning to lose patience. "We go in, we go out. The sooner we leave this place, the better."

Kuki and Wally still seemed unsure, but they submitted to their leader and went their separate ways.

Only Hoagie refused to budge. "I don't know about this, Abby."

What are you so worked up about?" she asked. "You're a great operative, Hoagie. You'll be fine."

Abby was surprised to see the concern in her friend's eyes. "It's not me I'm worried about."

She wasn't sure whether to feel touched or annoyed by his comment. But after an intense yet brief inner battle, the second option won out.

Her face hard and eyes cold, she said, "Numbuh 5 can take care of herself."

And to prove her point, she turned around and marched determinedly away from the boy. But as angry as she was, her heart couldn't help but do a couple of flips in her chest. He cared about her.

Don't think like that, she chided herself. You'll only give yourself false hope.

Abby had been well aware of Hoagie's former crush on her older sister. She had been absolutely disgusted by the mere thought of them together, but maybe it had been something else, too. Something a little more green-eyed.

She had done the math, calculated every possible variable, and looked at the hard unforgiving evidence.

And it could not be denied that the way Hoagie had looked at Cree was completely different to how he looked at her.

Contemplating her relationship with Hoagie consumed almost her entire mind. As a result, she wasn't tapping into her stealth and observation skills as much as she normally would, which would've been quite useful in evading the burlap sack that suddenly covered her whole body. She hit the ground with a wince-worthy thud as her captive dragged her away.

She could barely move, but Abby managed to raise her hand to inspect the large bump already forming on her temple. If this was what falling in love caused, she was in even deeper trouble than she thought.

**~0~0~0~0~0~**

Hoagie's 2x4 transmitter bore a heavy weight in his pocket as he moved from room to room. They had been separated for less than fifteen minutes, yet he already felt the overwhelming urge to call Abby and check up on her. The one thing stopping him from doing so was the fear of getting the girl even more exasperated with him than before.

But despite every effort, he found his feet slowing themselves down against his will. Soon enough, the transmitter was in his hand, dialing away.

"Come in Numbuh 5," he said. "Numbuh 5, do you copy?"

Nothing but static.

Hoagie didn't usually curse, but he had to restrain himself from releasing a few choice words under his breath. "'I can take care of myself', my butt."

Then he raced back in the direction he came from.

Ho tore through the halls, transmitter still glued to ear as he searched for a beeping that matched the tone emitting from the device in his hand. To his dying day he would thank his lucky stars that he had installed tracking devices in the transmitters of all his friends in the case of just such an emergency.

At long last he found the door that contained the phone of his friend.

"Numbuhs 3 and 4, come in," Hoagie whispered into his transmitter. "I think Numbuh 5's in trouble. Get to the third floor, fifth door on the right ASANow. I'm going in."

He flipped his phone off before his friends had a chance to argue with him, and true to his word he marched straight to the door and thrust it open.

The room was filled with more technology than in Hoagie's basement (and trust me, that's quite a bit). He could've spent hours toying around with the various devices, but all he had eyes for was the teenage girl trapped in a transparent tube in the center of the room.

But Hoagie didn't get the chance to make one move towards her when five unfortunately familiar voices spoke up from behind.

"Well, Hoagie Gilligan, we meet again at last."

The teen wheeled around, eyes morphing to pure anger as he stared down the Delightful Children From Down The Lane. "Let her go!"

"Hoagie, Hoagie," the Delightfuls tutted. "Always the cliché one. Why not begin with a polite hello? It has been quite a while since you have last seen us, after all."

"As snobby as ever," Hoagie muttered. "You Delightful Children haven't changed a bit."

All five faces formed identical scowls. "Yes. That is precisely the trouble."

"What are you talking about?" Hoagie asked.

Rolling their eyes, the Delightfuls said," We've never understood you, Hoagie. So bright, yet too stupid to see what is directly in front of you. Take a good look. What happened to you that did not happen to us?"

That's when it hit him. The Delightful Children really _hadn't _changed a bit. They were still the ten-year-old children they were when they had last met.

"It is quite ironic, really," the Delightfuls remarked. "You and your friends did not want to grow up, but you did. We wished more than anything to become adults, yet on account of the Delightfulization process we received from our Father, it appears that we are cursed to remain children forever."

"But what do you need Numbuh 5 for?" Hoagie asked.

"Ah yes," they replied. "Miss Abigail has had the fortune to be selected as our test subject. Perhaps if we experiment on her enough, we will be able to discover exactly what makes one age, and then we can do the same to ourselves."

Hoagie needed to think fast. He's had experience with using live test subjects; many a hamster had suffered from things such as radiation exposure, electrocution, and caffeine over-dosage at his hands until Numbuh 3 had forced him to stop. Who knows what the Delightful Children would do to Abby?

A flash of orange. A glimpse of green.

He caught sight of the two colors for barely more than a moment, but it was enough for him to gain a bit of hope that this wasn't quite so impossible a task after all.

"Even after all these years, how could you still not get it?" Hoagie said to the Delightfuls. "You have what every other kid in history has always craved, and you want to get rid of it?"

"No one respects you when you are a mere child," the five snapped. "We are the scapegoat of society. When adults do not wish to eat their vegetables, they give them to _us_. When they are tired, _we _get sent to bed. The only way we can gain freedom is to grow up ourselves."

"You call that freedom?" Hoagie laughed. "Going to collage, getting a job, having to shoulder all the problems of the world? Believe me, I'm halfway there and I don't like what I'm seeing. I'd give anything to be a kid again, where the biggest trouble was that the candy store was out of your favorite flavor of bubblegum. Sure, grown-ups get to boss kids around, but their minds are trapped thinking about the boring things of reality. But the innocence of a child allows you to do so much more: you can pretend to be an astronaut traveling to a faraway galaxy, a fairy princess defeating the evil witch with a flamethrower..." Hoagie couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Even a secret agent saving the world from adult tyranny with your friends. There's a world of possibilities when you're a kid, because you truly believe that there's nothing you can't do."

Abby absorbed every word he said. She hadn't thought it was possible, but there had never been a time when she loved Hoagie more.

But the speech only went through one ear and out the other of the Delightful children.

"Did you really expect us to actually listen to your ridiculous ideals?" they mocked.

Hoagie smiled at them, like he knew something that they didn't. "No."

The smug sneers of the Delightfuls were wiped clean, replaced with confusion. "What?"

Hoagie began inspecting his nails like his foes were no longer interesting. "I was just waiting for a couple more people to show up at the reunion."

Right on cue, Numbuhs 3 and 4 leaped out of their respective hiding spots and onto the forms of the Delightful Children. Hoagie didn't even take the time to enjoy the pained cries of his adversaries as he rushed to the capsule holding Abby and wrenched it open.

"Honey, I'm ho-"

He didn't even get the chance to finish his cheesy one-liner when Numbuh 5 charged straight past him and into the battle.

"You're welcome, saving your life was no issue at all," the kid murmured under his breath. Nevertheless, he too joined in on the fight.

The Delightfuls proved to be surprisingly vicious fighters; spending years climbing out of a toilet themed amusement park ride can do that to a person. Even so, it was clear that the TND operatives were gaining the upper hand.

Strange things happen in life. It's an undeniable fact. But by far the most unpredictable moment of any of the teens' lives was witnessing the Delightful Children From Down The Lane separate from their cluster into five distinct persons.

But even that wasn't enough to faze the members of Sector V. Each challenged a Delightful, and each defeated a Delightful.

Hoagie stood straight, dusting off his hands for good measure as he inspected the pile of moaning children. "Well, all in a day's work. Now what should we do with-"

"Look out!" Abby cried. She raced between Hoagie's turned back and the blond Delightful, interrupting the latter's attempt of a sneak attack on the nerd by means of a well-aimed slug to the nose. Soon enough, the snob was reduced to an unconscious heap on the ground.

"What was that for?" Hoagie asked bluntly.

Abby appeared to be highly amused by the boy's incredulity. "Just returning a favor. Thanks for not listening to me."

Hoagie gave a sly smirk. "Admit it, Abby. You'll always be my damsel in distress."

"There you go again," Abby sighed. "Ruining a perfectly good moment with a terrible joke."

"You know you love it." Hoagie re. For some reason he had never felt so brave. "Now come on, admit it."

"On one condition." Without taking her eyes off Hoagie, Abby pointed to the fallen form of the fifth Delightful. "You say that you need saving now and again, too."

As the conversation progressed, the two unknowingly drew closer and closer to one another. Now they were within a foot apart.

"How about a compromise," Hoagie proposed. "We both save each other."

Abby raised herself to her toes, her face now level with Hoagie's. "You've got yourself a deal."

No one is sure who leaned in first, but either way it made no difference. When their lips met, neither of them pulled away.

As couple released years' wort pent up feelings for one another, all fears of the other being in love with someone else washing away the longer they kissed, their two best friends stood just a few foot away, watching the entire scene unfold.

Wally rolled his eyes. "'Bout cruddy time those two got together. I was afraid Numbuh 2 would never man up and just ask the chick out."

He turned towards his friend in expectation of a similar response, only to find the very single Kuki glaring straight at him.

"What?"

Abby and Hoagie paid them no mind.


End file.
